A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as It appears In the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
This invention relates generally to management of inspections and, more particularly, to network-based systems and methods for management of plant specific material inspections using a database.
Inspections are a serious issue particularly in a government regulated industry such as nuclear power electricity production or aircraft maintenance. These industries are obligated to maintain strict compliance relating to product performance and safety. For a business entity Involved in a regulated industry such as nuclear power, transportation, or aircraft maintenance, the on-going inspection of key components, such as structural welds, is important to maintain the overall functionality of the system. In such industries, documentation relating to the material inspection regulations of various components is typically supplied to users through a combination of hard-copy files separately maintained by individual managers and/ or a service department. Additionally, inspection can vary in complexity or detail. Notifications of inspections, either routine or emergency, are generally made by personal contact or through individual reports. Moreover, various inspections may conflict, requiring access to the same physical location to perform inspections on different components or welds. Events also occur that can warrant prompt attention and which can require modification of pre-planned inspection schedules. Failure to properly schedule and perform required inspections can result in extended or additional maintenance, reducing system operating time and increasing system maintenance cost.
In one aspect, a method is provided for managing inspection requirements using a network-based system. The system includes a server system coupled to a centralized database and at least one client system. The method includes receiving information relating to components and storing the information into a centralized database. The method further includes cross-referencing the information received, updating the centralized database based on the information received and providing information in response to an inquiry.
In another aspect, a network-based system is provided for managing inspection requirements. The system includes a client system including a browser, a data storage device for storing information, and a server system configured to be coupled to the client system and the database. The server system is further configured to receive information relating to the inspection of components of a specific plant, store the information into a centralized database, and update the centralized database based on the information received. The server system is also configured to cross-reference the information received against the components and provide information In response to an inquiry.
In a further aspect, a computer program embodied on a computer readable medium is provided for managing inspection requirements. The program includes a code segment that receives information relating to components including inspection regulations. The program then maintains a database by adding, deleting and updating information relating to components and generates inspection requirements based on the information relating to components. The program further provides information to be displayed on a user system.